DGunz

Comment history

Another point is that there are many educational benefits that veterans can qualify for (not to mention the usually scholarships and grants that anyone can apply for), so if a veteran pays less because they have in-state residency then that unused balance can be used to enter graduate school. That adds another 2 years at least, not to mention that grad school usually involves an internship or the such which could lead to a job with that company.

This is neither true nor incorrect. Veteran points don't determine whether or not you are more qualified for a job than an average citizen. They only guarantee that the veteran's resume will be evaluated before a hiring decision is made. For example, I have 5 veterans preference points, and the job I'm applying for is one I have an advanced skill set for. If another veteran with, say, 10 or 15 preference points applies for the same job, the employer is required by federal law to at least look over the other vet's resume before making a decision. If I don't have a skill set that the job requires and an average citizen does, my preference points do not constitute any advantage that would compensate for my lack of expertise. In summary, it's the skills that one learns while in the military that determines which jobs they may get.

Actually, the state universities receive a large amount of their revenue from federally-funded assistance programs, for instance, tuition assistance for active duty members. The positive for the university is that they receive this money in one lump sum, generally soon after the semester starts. If you compare that to a normal student, it could take years before the school is paid-in-full. And I think if you make veterans say "I promise" to stay, then you have to require the same of those who already get in-state tuition. On average, normal college students are more likely to leave the state they graduated college in than veterans.

I believe that taxes are a good thing, and not paying income or state taxes is something I would never request. This would be counterproductive to the practice of veterans' education being paid for by the taxpayer. However, I would like to remind you that it was veteran educational benefits, such as the Montgomery GI Bill, that created the middle class in the first place. So not all incentive programs increase the separation between classes.

Couldn't the same argument then be made that veterans aren't getting free education; that they've already paid for it with their service? The whole point of this bill is to promote the military friendliness of Kansas in the hopes that veterans will bring their families here while they attend school. Veterans with families are more likely to have permanent residency wherever they graduate from.

I was one of the CVA members to introduce the bill this past week. The immigration issue has recently been tackled in a separate bill and we are hoping that this revised bill won't meet with the same resistance as last year's. Thanks for your support!